This Post details the daily power consumption data for the AEMO coverage area in Australia. For the background information, refer to the Introductory Post at this link.

Each image is shown here at a smaller size to fit on the page alongside the data for that day. If you click on each image, it will open on a new page and at a larger size so you can better see the detail.

Note also the scale change for some of the images. That scale (the total power shown on the left hand axis) has been changed to show the graph at a larger size.

Wednesday 16th May 2018

Total Power Generation All Sources

Here, the black line is the total power generation from every source. This is also the same as for total power consumption, which is slightly lower after minor grid losses are taken into account.

The Blue line is all fossil fuelled power generation. The orange line is hydro power generation. The purple line is wind power generation, and the red line is for solar power generation.

Both of those (exact) figures for total power consumption for the daily minimum and the daily Peak are taken directly from the AEMO site, adding up the totals for each of the five States in this coverage area.

Note the slight difference between Total Consumed Power and Total Generated Power. That indicates some of the losses in the grid system.

Daily Minimum Power Consumption – 18360MW

Daily Peak Power Consumption – 27570MW

Daily Minimum Generated Power – 18600MW

Daily Maximum Generated Power – 28000MW

Average Total Power Generation – 23000MW

Total Power Generation In GWH – 552GWH

All Fossil Fuels Total – Coal Fired and Natural Gas Fired Power Generation

Here, the upper black line is the total from all fossil fuels, and this is the same as the blue line in the image directly above.

The black line just under that top black line is the Sub Total just for coal fired power. Note here how closely that coal fired line follows the shape of the upper Load Curve, and this indicates that coal fired power can be ramped up and down to follow actual power consumption.

Daily Minimum Coal Fired – 15100MW

Daily Peak Coal Fired – 18000M

Average Coal Fired Generation -16700MW

Total Generated Power – 400.8GWH

Average Percentage Of Total – 72.6%

Natural Gas Fired Power Generation

This image for Natural Gas Fired Power Generation shows the gap between the total for all Fossil Fuelled Sources of power generation and Coal Fired Power Generation in the image directly above.

Note here how closely the shape follows the total power generation Load Curve in the top image, indicating how these natural gas fired plants are used to smooth out the load curve to match actual power consumption.

Note also that while coal fired power provides the bulk of the power, these natural gas fired plants are used to add more power to the system during those time periods during the day when consumption rises for the morning peak, and the main evening Peak

Daily Minimum – 1050MW

Daily Peak – 5550MW

Average Natural Gas Fired Generation – 2600MW

Total Generated Power – 62.4GWH

Average Percentage Of Total – 11.2%

All Renewable Power Generation Versus Total Power Generation

This Image shows just the gap between total power generation from every source and the total power from renewable sources only. It is the same image as the first image at the top here, only with the fossil fuelled total (the blue line) removed from the graph, As in that top image, it shows Hydro Power, (orange line) wind power, (purple line) and solar power. (red line) What I have then done is added the black line just above those coloured lines and this indicates the Sub Total of power from those three renewable sources only. This is to highlight the gap between the total power generation and the total from renewable sources alone.

All Renewable Power Generation (Does not include rooftop solar generation)

This image is the same as for the one directly above for all renewable power, only with the total from all sources removed from the graph. As the scale of the left hand vertical axis has now changed, you can better see the detail of all renewable power. Again, the orange line is for hydro, the purple line is for wind, and the red line is for solar, and the black line is the Sub total for all renewable power. The other colour just showing indicates smaller plants, mostly using biofuels as their fuel source, tiny plants adding up to a very small total and for a short time duration.

Daily Minimum – 2500MW

Daily Peak – 5300MW

Average Renewable Generation –

Total Generated Power – 88.8GWH

Average Percentage Of Total – 16.1%

Hydro Power Generation

This image shows all Hydro power generation. It is the same as the orange line in the top image for power generation from all sources.

Again, note here that the shape of this load curve follows the shape of the main load curve for all power generation, in that it has similar peaks in the morning and for the man evening Peak. The coloured lines at the bottom of this graph indicate the power generation from each of the hydro plants in this coverage area.

Daily Minimum – 1350MW

Daily Peak – 4000MW

Average Hydro Generation – 2400MW

Total Generated Power – 57.6GWH

Average Percentage Of Total -10.4%

Wind Power Generation

This image shows the total power generated by every wind plant in this vast coverage area. It is the same as for the purple coloured line in the image at the top showing generation from all sources.

The total Nameplate for all these wind plants is just under 5000MW.

Note that the shape of this load curve does not follow the shape of the main load curve for total power generation. Wind power generates its power only when the wind is blowing, hence it does not follow actual power consumption levels.

Daily Minimum – 800MW

Daily Peak – 1750MW

Average Wind Generation – 1190MW

Total Generated Power – 28.56GWH

Average Percentage Of Total – 5.2%

Solar Power Plant Generation

This image shows the total power generated from all the solar power plants in this coverage area. This is the same as for the red coloured line you can just see in that top image.

The total Nameplate for all these 16 solar plants is just lower than 1000MW.

As this source of power generation is classed as ‘behind the meter’, it is not included in the total power generation. Note here that the State of Queensland (QLD on the legend under the graph) is broken down into four separate areas as this is the largest State with the largest number of installations.

While the total Nameplate changes often, the latest information is that the total is now 7800MW, and that is a large total. However, that total equates to 1.8 Million homes with panels on their roof. That equates to an average sized installation of 4.3KW. Most of the power is consumed by the homes with the panels, and what is fed back to the grid, while seemingly still high is spread across that huge number of installations across the whole of this coverage area.

Daily Minimum – Zero

Daily Peak – 3400MW

Average For Hours of Generation – 2160MW (7AM till 5.00PM)

Average Rooftop Solar Generation across the whole 24 hour day – 900MW

Total Generated Power – 21.6GWH

Average Percentage Of Total across the whole 24 hour day – 3.9%

Notes

The total percentages for coal fired power, natural gas fired power and all renewables adds up to 100%.

The total percentages for Hydro, Wind, and Solar adds up to the total percentage for all Renewables.

For both solar power averages, I have used the average for a Sine Wave which is 0.637 of the Peak value.

For total power in GWH, multiply the average daily power by 24.

Comments For This Day

Each day I am finding a way to slightly tweak the format for these Posts. For today, I have slightly added to the text for the first (top) image and data and that is for the Overall totals. Here, I have added the actual figures for power consumption and also for the total power generation. The total power consumption figures are taken directly from the AEMO site for each State, and I have added them together to show the total power consumption for the 4AM minimum and also for the Peak power time at 6PM. Directly below that are the total figures for all power generation from every source. You’ll notice that the figures for total power generation are slightly higher than for actual power consumption, and this is due to the losses associated with such a huge power grid across such a vast area.

I have also moved the Total Generated Power Power from each source to the second bottom position, and from that, directly below that, the percentage of the total for each of the sources associated with each of the images. Here the totals for Hydro, Wind and Solar Power (plants only) add up to the total overall power generation and the percentage for all Renewables. Then, if you add together the power generation (and the percentages) for ALL renewables, natural gas, and coal fired power, that total then comes to the total generated power and the 100% total.

The power generation from Rooftop Solar Power is on top of the overall total, as this is ‘behind the meter’ generation, and for this I have just given a percentage of what that total is when compared to the Overall total power generated.

Anton Lang uses the screen name of TonyfromOz, and he writes at this site, PA Pundits International on topics related to electrical power generation, from all sources, concentrating mainly on Renewable Power, and how the two most favoured methods of renewable power generation, Wind Power and all versions of Solar Power, fail comprehensively to deliver levels of power required to replace traditional power generation. His Bio is at this link.

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